GREAT STORM REMEMBERED
 Twenty years ago, in the early hours of 16 October 1987, a ferocious gale blew across the south east and the east of England.
The winds reached speeds of 100 miles per hour, blowing down around 15 million trees and, sadly, 19 people lost their lives in the worst storm to hit Britain since 1703.
Sites on the public forest estate, managed by the Forestry Commission, that bore the brunt of the winds included Sandlings Forest in Suffolk and the National Pinetum at Bedgebury where 30 per cent of the National Conifer Collection was lost.
Damage to trees on the public forest estate was considerable but it was only 25% of the total. Three quarters of the impact directly hit other woodland owners, from farmers and private estates, to organisations like the National Trust, and local authorities.
The Forestry Commission was instrumental in establishing a Windblow Task Force to provide a comprehensive information and advisory service to woodland owners and the timber trade. In the months following the storm, the Task Force dealt with over one thousand enquiries. An advice booklet was also produced, and seminars were held on the clearance and marketing of the timber in early 1988.
Innovative solutions to the massive influx of timber included the creation of a wet timber storage facility at Thetford in Norfolk. Here, between March 1998 and July 1992, water was sprayed onto 70,000 cubic metres of pine logs to preserve them. It was the first time that this pioneering technique was used in the UK and enabled the wood to be saved from deterioration, and allowed markets to stabilise before releasing the timber.
The long-term impact of the storms has sparked debate among ecologists and tree experts. From the initial devastation and shock of the morning after, some have argued that the storm damage opened up undermanaged woodlands – letting in light and creating structural diversity and valuable deadwood habitats.
Forestry Commission Chairman Lord Clark of Windermere, said, “The 20-year anniversary of the Great Storm provides an opportunity to take stock of the damage caused by the winds and to remember the fantastic effort made by everyone involved in the clear-up operation. We now also need to take a long-term view and reflect on how the woodlands of the south east have changed in the intervening 20 years.
“The effects of the storm highlighted the importance of woodland management in creating diverse woodlands with a great variety of ages of trees. Mixed age woodlands, as well as deadwood, provide the greatest variety of habitats for woodland wildlife and are likely to be the most resilient in the face of future storms which may become a more frequent event as a result of climate change.”
To find out more about the immediate impact and the long-term effects of the Great Storm and the Forestry Commission’s role in the clear-up operation go to www.forestry.gov.uk/thegreatstorm
Media contact:
Jo Fowler
Forestry Commission England Press Officer
01223 346034
07833 672903
e-mail: jo.fowler@forestry.gsi.gov.uk |